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Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng
The relationship between Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng is one of the most important relationships and dynamics throughout the novel, along with the most changing, evolving and complex. Relationship When the two first met, they initially did not get along. Jiang Cheng had a few puppies he looked after and deeply cared for, but because his father brought him Wei Wuxian to be adopted into the family and Wei Wuxian had a strong case of cynophobia, Jiang Cheng was forced to release his dogs. This caused him to develop a grudge against Wei Wuxian and bullied him. However, he eventually grew to care for Wei Wiuxian and decided he would protect him from anything that would hurt him, including dogs. This became the start of their friendship. In the past, Wei Wuxian treated Jiang Cheng like his brother and Jiang Cheng the same to him. The two of them often bickered and cared for each other like siblings. Often it was up to Jiang Cheng to scold Wei Wuxian for his unruly behavior, but more often than not they were inseparable. However, because of Jiang Fengmian's perceived favoritism of Wei Wuxian, there was a constant tension between the two of them. However, when this tension came to its peak, Wei Wuxian promised that he'd always be by Jiang Cheng's side, not as a superior but as an equal and a loyal servant, smoothing over the tension and reaffirming their relationship. When Wei Wuxian defended Lan Wangji from Wen Chao, Wen Chao retaliated by annihilating the Jiang Clan. When Wei Wuxian became the Yiling Patriarch, he initially supported Wei Wuxian as he was happy Wei Wuxian survived his encounter with the Wen Sect and even happier once he used his newfound powers to kill the Wen Sect. However, when Wei Wuxian defended Wen Ning and Wen Qing (two Wen Sect members who saved his and Jiang Cheng's lives) and went against the Jin Sect to do so, their relationship became strained as Jiang greatly disapproved of him saving Wen Sect members. Nonetheless, he still cared for Wei Wuxian and would often visit him, warning him of the consequences of his actions for saving the Wen clan members and following the dark arts. He later confronted Wei Wuxian, telling him that he could no longer protect him if he continued down this path, though Wei Wuxian simply rebuffed his attempts and told him to give up on him. After Wen Ning accidentally kills Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli sacrifices herself to save Wei Wuxian, the tension between the two skyrockets, eventually leading up to the first siege at the Burial Mounds. The tension that had existed between them due to Jiang Cheng's jealousy of Wei Wuxian's talents and attention he received from his father returns as the other cultivators, fearful of the Yiling Patriarch encouraged and incited Jiang Cheng into murdering the Yiling Patriarch. Despite this, Wei Wuxian did not hold a grudge against Jiang Cheng for murdering him. Upon his reincarnation, Wei Wuxian is extremely regretful and guilty towards what happened during his previous life. Jiang Cheng, for the next thirteen years, has been obsessed with finding Wei Wuxian and exacting revenge for what has happened. He has kidnapped and persecuted several cultivators who followed the dark path similar to Wei Wuxian. When Wei Wuxian's soul is placed into Mo Xuanyu's body through forced sacrifice, he has suspicions of Wei Wuxian having come back from the dead (which is true). He continues to persecute Wei Wuxian for his actions and his suspicions are later confirmed. Each time he confronts Wei Wuxian, he taunts, insults, mocks, and berates him while reminding him of his evil deeds and the consequences of his actions, allowing his hatred and jealousy to culminate. He and other cultivators attempt to attack Wei Wuxian but fail when Lan Wangji takes him and runs. Later, Wei Wuxian demonstrates his innocence at a conference and Jin Guangyao's involvement in Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli's death, though this does little to curb Jiang Cheng's anger towards Wei Wuxian as he still holds him responsible for his actions. Later, when Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji sneak out he berates both of them on their lack of manners. He follows them and keeps a close eye but becomes disturbed and disgusted upon realizing the two were in love, his disgust even overpowering his anger and hatred towards Wei Wuxian. His anger returns when he sees Wei Wuxian visiting Jiang Cheng's parents' graves and insults them fully both for their relationship and for his past actions. He also reveals he blames Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji for the Jiang Clan's persecution and near-annihilation at the hands of the Wen Clan since Wei Wuxian angered Wen Chao by defending Lan Wangji from him, leading Wen Chao to retaliate by murdering the Jiang Clan. While Wei Wuxian was not angered by Jiang Cheng's harsh comments towards him, he was deeply hurt at his remarks towards Lan Wangji and the two fought. When Wei Wuxian was knocked unconscious by Jiang Cheng's attack and Lan Wangji was about to fight back to defend him, Wen Ning came down and revealed to Jiang Cheng that Wei Wuxian had once saved Jiang Cheng's life by placing his own golden core into Jiang Cheng and proves this by having Jiang Cheng pull out Suiban, Wei Wuxian's sword which had a seal placed on it and would only react to Jiang Cheng due to the fact his golden core was originally Wei Wuxian's. When Jiang Cheng realizes this, he becomes angered and shocked by the revelation as Wei Wuxian had not told him. This is because for cultivators, a golden core is the equivalent of a person's life. Not having a golden core would mean not being able to cultivate, which is the equivalent of death for a cultivator, especially for someone as proud as Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian understood that telling him would mean Jiang Cheng would have sworn his loyalty to Wei Wuxian and the Wen Sect (as Wen Qing had helped transfer the golden core into his body). Jiang Cheng then comes to Wei Wuxian's rescue against Jin Guangyao in the Guanyin temple and while still deeply angered by Wei Wuxian and his actions, he is also deeply angered with himself for being so helpless and needing Wei Wuxian's help as his golden core had supported him throughout the years. By the end of the novel, the two have managed to ease the tension between them although they are still not as close as they were in the past. Wei Wuxian's Opinion Wei Wuxian has always loved and cared for Jiang Cheng, even as children. while the two did not get along well at first due to Wei Wuxian's fear of dogs which led to Jiang Chang developing a grudge at first. However, the two did eventually manage to become good friends. For Wei Wuxian, being Jiang Cheng's servant and sworn brother in the future was all that truly mattered to him. Though often annoyed by Jiang Cheng's scolding of him, he genuinely loved him as a brother. When he is incarnated into the body of Mo Xuanyu, he retains deep guilt over their past. He never once shows anger or hatred towards Jiang Cheng, always showing remorse for his previous actions while also being frightened and deeply saddened by the changes in Jiang Cheng due to his actions. Even as Jiang Cheng repeatedly berated and insulted Wei Wuxian each time they met, Wei Wuxian never retaliated or spoke back, as Wei Wuxian himself felt blame as he did cause the deaths of Jiang Cheng's family, whether direct or indirect. However, he only ever got truly angry towards Jiang Cheng when his insults became directed at Lan Wangji. Jiang Cheng's Opinion In contrast to Wei Wuxian, who has always loved and cared for Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng's view towards Wei Wuxian has always changed and evolved, fluctuating from hate to love to estrangement to hate and revenge to continuing hate and pain to anger and resentment to confusion to love. Jiang Cheng's long-standing jealousy of his father's attention to Wei Wuxian, fueled by the agitations and comments of other cultivators who had convinced him to murder Wei wuxian as a threat, his hatred of all Wen Clan members, the death of his family both directly and indirectly caused by Wei Wuxian are what led to his hatred towards Wei Wuxian. In addition, Jiang Cheng's jealousy, pride, arrogance, and vengeful nature along with his susceptibility towards the opinions of others only further fueled the inability and lack of communication between the two that only allowed for the deterioration of their relationship. However, beneath this hatred and desire for vengeance for the deaths of his family, Jiang Cheng held a deep love for Wei Wuxian that, even in the midst of his revenge, shone through by the pain and anger he felt. Moments in the Novel/Manhua Moments in the Audio Drama Moments in the Donghua Category:Relationships